How to sleep better tip 6: Ways to get back to sleep
It’s normal to wake briefly
during the night. In fact, a good sleeper won’t even remember it. But if you’re
waking up during the night and having trouble falling back asleep, the
following tips may help.
§ Stay out
of your head. The key to getting back to sleep is continuing to cue your
body for sleep, so remain in bed in a relaxed position. Hard as it may be, try
not to stress over the fact that you’re awake or your inability to fall asleep
again, because that very stress and anxiety encourages your body to stay awake.
A good way to stay out of your head is to focus on the feelings and sensations
in your body.
§ Make
relaxation your goal, not sleep. If you are finding it
hard to fall back asleep, try a relaxation technique such as visualization,
deep breathing, or meditation, which can be done without even getting out of
bed. Remind yourself that although they’re not a replacement for sleep, rest
and relaxation still help rejuvenate your body.
§ Do a
quiet, non-stimulating activity. If you’ve been awake
for more than 15 minutes, try getting out of bed and doing a quiet,
non-stimulating activity, such as reading a book. Keep the lights dim so as not
to cue your body clock that it’s time to wake up. Also avoid screens of any
kind—computers, TV, cell phones, iPads—as the type of light they emit is
stimulating to the brain. A light snack or herbal tea might help relax you, but
be careful not to eat so much that your body begins to expect a meal at that
time of the day.
§ Postpone
worrying and brainstorming. If you wake during the
night feeling anxious about something, make a brief note of it on paper and
postpone worrying about it until the next day when you are fresh and it will be
easier to resolve. Similarly, if a brainstorm or great idea is keeping you
awake, make a note of it on paper and fall back to sleep knowing you’ll be much
more productive and creative after a good night’s rest.
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